Tag Archives: Wyoming

Living in New York, we’re in a privileged place when it comes to craft beer. Though we lack the critical mass of breweries and brewpubs that are found in Portland, Asheville, Seattle and Chicago, our tap lines overflow with excellent beer from cultish breweries such as Firestone Walker, Ballast Point and AleSmith.

I call this the “show pony” effect. New York is still the nation’s nerve center for media, and the city’s journalists and taste makers can quickly elevate a beer brand’s standing. Add to that the bustling tourist economy (around 50 million folks annually), and New York is a massive stage for craft breweries. The latest brewery to take its turn in the spotlight in our fair metropolis is Snake River, which might be the best brewery in Wyoming.

Don’t scoff. Over the last couple years, Wyoming’s breweries have been earning armloads of medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Thai Me Up took top honors for its IPAs, and Black Tooth Brewing, Wind River and Altitude Chophouse also earned some shiny hardware. Still, few Wyoming breweries have been as consistently excellent as Snake River Brewing.

Some breweries tend to have a single specialty such as, say, hoppy beers, stouts or crisp pilsners. That’s not Snake River’s style. Head brewer Cory Buenning is well versed in West Coast hop bombs, Czech pilsners, German lagers and English ales, showing a firm grasp on the brew kettle.

Brooklyn’s American Beer distributors released Snake River’s beers a few weeks ago, and let me tell you: I have not been this impressed about a new brewery in eons. Snake River Pale Ale is a citrusy easy-drinker, while the Snake River Lager is a smooth, caramel-licked dream. Like hops? Pako’s EYE-P-A is firmly bitter without blowing your taste buds to smithereens, while Zonker Stout is a rich and roasty rebuttal to winter.

3) Notch Session Pils: Unfiltered and bitter in all the right places, this pilsner is perfect for pounding at the beach and backyard BBQs alike.

4) Foundation Brewing Wanderlust: At just 4.5 percent ABV, this hoppy little farmhouse ale from Portland, Maine, is super-crushable, packed with aromas and flavors of peaches and tropical fruit.

5) 21st Amendment Down to Earth: The bad news: the California brewery killed Bitter American, its landmark low-alcohol pale ale. The good news: Its replacement is Down to Earth, a session IPA with tropical verve.